Two persons from Assam held for smuggling ganja at Central railway station
Two passengers travelling from Assam were arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at the Central railway station after they were found to be smuggling ganja.
As part of 'Operation Narcos', a team of RPF personnel closely monitored the movement of passengers after the arrival of Coromandel Express at the railway station and intercepted two suspicious passengers at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The suspects were carrying a black shoulder bag and were evasive during questioning. Upon inquiry, they identified themselves as Khurchid Ali, 23, of Sonipur and Sur Jaman, 23, of Nagaon in Assam.
Both had travelled from Howrah to Chennai on a general ticket. Upon further inspection, 5 kg of ganja, estimated to have a market value of ₹2.5 lakh, was found in their possession. The seized contraband and the accused were subsequently handed over to the Prohibition Enforcement Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police for further legal action.
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Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Cases of people falling off trains high in Pune rail division; activists call for better prevention measures
1 2 3 Pune: Awareness campaigns, monitoring and public announcements on the dangers of trying to board or get off moving trains are all measures that don't seem to be working in the Pune rail division. While 107 cases of people falling from trains were recorded last year in the division, this time, the figure has already reached 51 between Jan and May. On Monday, eight commuters fell off two local trains moving in opposite directions at Mumbra railway station in Mumbai, resulting in four deaths. Now, daily commuters and activists are saying new steps need to be taken to control this menace rather than relying on the old ways. Priyanka Sharma, the divisional security commissioner with the Pune's Railway Protection Force (RPF), told TOI on Tuesday, "We are launching a drive under section 156 of the Railways Act and an awareness campaign in this division to control the problem." But another senior official, when asked about whether there were any new plans to control the problem, said, "We don't have any official confirmation yet on the same." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo As per section 156 of the Railways Act, if a person rides on parts of a train where passengers aren't supposed to be, like roofs, steps or the engine, even after railway workers tell them to stop, they face imprisonment of up to three months, a fine of up to Rs500, or both. Commenting on the Mumbra incident, Hemant Kumar Behera, divisional commercial manager and public relations officer with the Pune rail division, told TOI, "In Pune, a person falling off from trains due to overcrowding is rare. There are 42 local trains running between Pune and Lonavla and the average load factor rests at around 75%. However, in the Pune division, such incidents mainly happen when people try to board or get off a moving train. " He added, "The RPF personnel do keep monitoring the situation and continue patrolling. People are also alerted about the dangers via public announcements at stations, besides regular awareness campaigns." In 2024, 35 people died and 72 sustained injuries in 107 such incidents. This year until May, the total deaths stood at 14 and injuries stood at 37 in 51 total incidents. "The figures this year are already at almost half the number in 2024. This clearly shows that the techniques used by the officials are not enough. There are a high number of alarm chain pulling and track trespassing incidents in Pune division, too," a source in the railways told TOI, requesting anonymity. In 2024, Pune rail division recorded a total of 368 track trespassing incidents, which resulted in the deaths of 318 people. The figure in 2023 rested at 322 incidents resulting in 286 deaths. When it comes to alarm chain pulling, 2024 recorded 1,580 incidents in Pune division, compared to 1,121 in 2023. Nikhil Kachi, a former member of the divisional railway users' consultative committee (DRUCC) said, "Are the preventive steps really being taken at the ground level? A drive or two won't solve the problem. A new approach is needed taking the help of best practices from railways of different countries." Vikas Deshpande, a railway activist and secretary of Daund-Pune-Daund Pravasi Sangh, agreed that a fresh approach is needed. "All local trains need to have automated doors and anti-slipping flooring. A lot is talked about drones and AI and the same can be used towards controlling and monitoring. There needs to be a way to limit the crowd on platforms. The railways need to think proactively on the same lines," he told TOI. Pune: Awareness campaigns, monitoring and public announcements on the dangers of trying to board or get off moving trains are all measures that don't seem to be working in the Pune rail division. While 107 cases of people falling from trains were recorded last year in the division, this time, the figure has already reached 51 between Jan and May. On Monday, eight commuters fell off two local trains moving in opposite directions at Mumbra railway station in Mumbai, resulting in four deaths. Now, daily commuters and activists are saying new steps need to be taken to control this menace rather than relying on the old ways. Priyanka Sharma, the divisional security commissioner with the Pune's Railway Protection Force (RPF), told TOI on Tuesday, "We are launching a drive under section 156 of the Railways Act and an awareness campaign in this division to control the problem." But another senior official, when asked about whether there were any new plans to control the problem, said, "We don't have any official confirmation yet on the same." As per section 156 of the Railways Act, if a person rides on parts of a train where passengers aren't supposed to be, like roofs, steps or the engine, even after railway workers tell them to stop, they face imprisonment of up to three months, a fine of up to Rs500, or both. Commenting on the Mumbra incident, Hemant Kumar Behera, divisional commercial manager and public relations officer with the Pune rail division, told TOI, "In Pune, a person falling off from trains due to overcrowding is rare. There are 42 local trains running between Pune and Lonavla and the average load factor rests at around 75%. However, in the Pune division, such incidents mainly happen when people try to board or get off a moving train. " He added, "The RPF personnel do keep monitoring the situation and continue patrolling. People are also alerted about the dangers via public announcements at stations, besides regular awareness campaigns." In 2024, 35 people died and 72 sustained injuries in 107 such incidents. This year until May, the total deaths stood at 14 and injuries stood at 37 in 51 total incidents. "The figures this year are already at almost half the number in 2024. This clearly shows that the techniques used by the officials are not enough. There are a high number of alarm chain pulling and track trespassing incidents in Pune division, too," a source in the railways told TOI, requesting anonymity. In 2024, Pune rail division recorded a total of 368 track trespassing incidents, which resulted in the deaths of 318 people. The figure in 2023 rested at 322 incidents resulting in 286 deaths. When it comes to alarm chain pulling, 2024 recorded 1,580 incidents in Pune division, compared to 1,121 in 2023. Nikhil Kachi, a former member of the divisional railway users' consultative committee (DRUCC) said, "Are the preventive steps really being taken at the ground level? A drive or two won't solve the problem. A new approach is needed taking the help of best practices from railways of different countries." Vikas Deshpande, a railway activist and secretary of Daund-Pune-Daund Pravasi Sangh, agreed that a fresh approach is needed. "All local trains need to have automated doors and anti-slipping flooring. A lot is talked about drones and AI and the same can be used towards controlling and monitoring. There needs to be a way to limit the crowd on platforms. The railways need to think proactively on the same lines," he told TOI.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
CCTV, eyewitnesses unable to explain Mumbra deaths, CR sets up probe panel
MUMBAI: More than 24 hours after the Monday morning rush hour Mumbra tragedy in which four commuters died and nine others were injured — some after falling off two passing local trains and others while inside the compartment — Central Railway (CR) is still to conclusively determine what led to the unprecedented accident on the city's suburban railway network, reports Manthan K Mehta. In the absence of clear CCTV footage or inconclusive eyewitness accounts, the cause remains a mystery. CR on Tuesday set up a five-member committee of senior officials to investigate, but did not specify a deadline. They will examine all possibilities, including overcrowding, brushing of bags, possible quarrels, or passengers on footboards losing balance at a curve. Cops tracked another man injured in the incident to a private hospital in Diva, taking the count of injured to 10. Central Railway on Tuesday set up a five-member committee of senior officials to investigate the sequence of events leading to the Mumbra tragedy. The probe panel includes the senior divisional security commissioner, senior divisional mechanical engineer, senior divisional electrical engineer, senior divisional engineer, and the senior divisional operations manager. CR's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, "There is no fixed deadline, but the committee has been asked to submit its findings at the earliest. " A senior RPF official said, "We have reviewed CCTV footage from the platform, but it doesn't offer much insight as the view was blocked by the trains themselves." Adding to the mystery, officials said even the injured commuters have been unable to provide clear accounts of how they fell. "There is talk of passengers being flung and colliding with the opposite train, but nothing is confirmed yet," an official said. The incident occurred at the Diva end near Mumbra rilway station. Preliminary observations suggest the incident occurred when two fast locals—a Kasara-CSMT train and a CSMT-Karjat one—crossed each other ahead of the curve. It is suspected that shoulder bags or luggage brushing against passengers could have destabilised those on the edge. CR has not imposed any additional speed restrictions on the stretch following the accident. Of the 13 commuters involved in the mishap, 11 were aboard the Kasara-CSMT fast local, while two were on the CSMT-Karjat train. Of the deceased, Vicky Mukhyadal and Mayur Shah were in the CSMT-Karjat train, while Ketan Saroj and Rahul Gupta were travelling on the Kasara-CSMT local. An official said scratch marks were found on the exterior of the Kasara-CSMT train's last coach. "It appears that a passenger's bag may have grazed the coach of the opposite train, which may have triggered the incident," the official said. Meanwhile, the local staff from Mumbra railway station who attended to the mishap victims are likely to be called in for questioning. The railway police, guided by the assistant commissioner of police, railways, CSMT, on Tuesday inspected the spot where the victims were found following the mishap to look for clues. - Inputs by Manoj Badgeri
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Missing Piravom teen found in Coimbatore, reunited with family
KOCHI: Police traced and reunited a teenager who had gone missing from Onakkoor near Piravom on June 2. Arjun, 17, son of Raghu, was located in Coimbatore and brought back with the help of police and relatives. According to officials, Arjun had left home due to anxiety over his Plus-I examination results. A bright student who had secured an A+ in his SSLC exams, Arjun was apprehensive that he may not be able to achieve good scores in Plus-I exams. During the investigation, police learnt that Arjun had travelled to Coimbatore. Kerala police had informed their Tamil Nadu counterpart and Railway Protection Force about the boy. Police had received information that some persons had spotted Arjun in Coimbatore. A search operation was under way in the Tamil Nadu state. On Saturday, Arjun contacted his parents using a local resident's phone. The family immediately informed the police, who, along with relatives from Palakkad, went to Coimbatore and brought him back.
